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“Look, I have to go into work for a while,” I say.
It wasn’t just an excuse to get away from her—that was an added bonus—I really did have to get some work done, and if the kids weren’t going to be here, it was the perfect time to do it.
“Do you mind staying until the kids are picked up?” I ask her. “Then you’re free to go.”
“Sure.” She shrugs, sinking down onto the couch.
“Great. I owe you one.”
I grab my keys and phone and stalk out the door before I can say anything else to embarrass myself. Everything I said to her was either inappropriate or wrong. I was supposed to diffuse the situation, not make it worse.
I walk into my office and slam the door shut, still annoyed at myself over this whole Anna situation. This is ridiculous. I walk over to my desk and pull my chair back and sit down. For the next half hour, I get no work done because all I can think about is the mess I’ve gotten myself into. I sit there, staring at the ceiling, think about the last two weeks and cringe. I don't sneak around behind my best friend’s back and take advantage of his daughter. Even though she’s not underage, I’m sure I hold some kind of power over her, being that I’m so much older. This is not me. I just don’t do this.
Fuck. I’ve turned into the creepy guy who lives next door. Before long, kids will be refusing to walk past my house to get to school, and nobody will be game enough to knock on the door for Halloween. I groan and shake my head as I sink into a midlife crisis kind of moment where I'm just sitting there, contemplating the meaning of life and wallowing in my sorrows. Then I knock myself out of it.
I need to man up and either commit to this or end it—whatever the fuck ‘it’ is.
It’s one or the other. The messing around isn’t fair on either of us, and someone is eventually going to end up hurt. Sighing, I get to my feet and stomp to my car, determined one way or another to resolve this.
And definitely, before I have to have another awkward conversation with her father.Chapter Seven
AnnaI don't know why I’m still here.
The kids left a long time ago, and I just got word that they're both staying the night over at their friends’ houses. I didn’t know if that was allowed or not, but I was the closest thing to an adult here to make the decision, so I made it. It had nothing to do with the fact that it left Nick alone in a big, empty house for the night.
The only amusing part of the day was when Indigo’s mother turned up to collect Milly. The look on her face when she saw me there was priceless. I fumbled through an excuse about why I was there, but I'm not sure she believed me. She just looked pissed. You think she’d be happy to hear that Nick would have more free time with me there, but I think she was jealous she hadn’t thought of it herself.
Sighing, I wonder again if I should just go. I’ve completely cleaned the house from top to bottom, and there is nothing left for me to do other than sit here, staring at the wall, waiting for him to come home. I shake my head because I’ve officially lost it. What am I expecting—for him to sweep me into his arms and carry me to his bedroom?
I gather my things and stand up, just as Nick walks in.
“You’re still here,” he murmurs. I study him, trying to work out if that’s a good thing or not.
“Yep,” I say weakly. “Just leaving, actually.”
He glances around, his eyes widening. “Holy shit, Anna. You cleaned? You cleaned everything?” he gasps. He shakes his head slowly.
I flush, feeling like an idiot. When I’m anxious, I clean. I had only meant to clean the living room, but once I got started, I just couldn't stop. I found it quite relaxing to just go through the whole place. It’s the first time in a long time where I actually felt like I’d accomplished something.
“Can you stay a few more minutes?” he asks. “I owe you an apology.” He walks over and sits down on the couch, patting the seat next to him. I sit down, my heart pounding. Why did I feel like I was the one who should be saying sorry?
“You didn't do anything,” I argue. “I should be the one apologizing for starting this in the first place. I was the one who invaded your privacy.”
“Maybe so, but I encouraged it,” he said with a frown. “And then just to complicate things even more, I jacked off to you while you took your…” His voice trails off. “Oh, shit,” he mutters. But the damage is done. I heard what he’d said, loud and clear, and I liked it.
